Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


EU Parliament Criticizes Roma Expulsion by France

   Selah Hennessy | London 09 September 2010
   Roma  rights activists during a protest in front of the French embassy
   in Bucharest, Romania, 06 Sep 2010

Photo: AP

   Roma  rights activists during a protest in front of the French embassy
   in Bucharest, Romania, 06 Sep 2010

   The  European  Parliament  has  criticized  the  move  by  the  French
   government to expel its Roma migrants.

   Since  August,  France has deported about 1,000 ethnic Roma to Romania
   and  Bulgaria.  In  a  resolution  passed Thursday, the European Union
   called for France to bring it to a stop.

   European  Parliament member for London Jean Lambert says France's Roma
   policy is discriminatory.

   "It  is  not saying you have committed a crime and therefore you as an
   individual  should be expelled from this country," Lampert. "It really
   is  sort  of  state discrimination of a group, which is already one of
   the most disadvantaged in the European Union."

   The resolution was passed with 337 votes; 245 voted against.

   Lampert says it is unusual for the European Parliament to make such an
   open  criticism  of a member state, but she says the current situation
   demanded it.

   "Today  a  majority  of  the  members  of  the European Union took the
   position  that  this  was  so  bad  that, yes, they were going to name
   member states responsible," said Lampert.

   The  resolution  was also critical of the European Commission. It said
   the  Commission,  as  guardian  of  the  EU treaty, should have made a
   strong, quick response when the expulsions first started.

   Discrimination against national or ethnic groups is forbidden under EU
   law.  The  French  government  says  it  is  not  stigmatizing Roma or
   breaking  EU  law.  It  says  the  deportation is a question of public
   safety.  Roma  were recently involved in a few public order incidents,
   including a riot in southeastern France.

   Christian    Schweiger   from   Britain's   Durham   University   says
   discrimination is an ongoing problem in Europe.

   "This  has  been  an ongoing issue," said Schweiger. "Racial division,
   religious  division  has been an issue and countries very often do not
   abide by these rules."

   The  resolution  passed by the European Parliament also criticized the
   treatment   of  Roma  by  other  member  states.  This  week,  Italian
   authorities dismantled illegal Roma camps around Milan and Rome.